ProtonVPN review — Swiss VPN with free tier and Secure Core
ProtonVPN offers a completely free tier, Secure Core multi-hop routing and Tor-over-VPN. Compared with Mullvad — who is ProtonVPN the better choice for?
ProtonVPN review
ProtonVPN comes from the same team as Proton Mail. Based in Switzerland, open-source, independently audited and the only serious VPN with a completely free tier. Explained: who ProtonVPN is the right choice for — and when Mullvad fits better.
What sets ProtonVPN apart
Free tier without data limits: ProtonVPN Free is the only free VPN worth taking seriously. No data limits, no ads, no data sales. Limited to three server locations (Netherlands, US, Japan) and one device at a time — sufficient to test whether a VPN is right for you.
Secure Core: Paid subscribers can route traffic through an extra server in Iceland, Switzerland or Sweden before it reaches the regular VPN server. If the endpoint server is compromised, an attacker can only see the Secure Core server — not your IP. Comparable to multi-hop at Mullvad and IVPN.
Tor-over-VPN: Connecting via an Onion server automatically routes traffic through the Tor network after the VPN hop. No separate Tor Browser needed — useful for specific situations.
NetShield: Built-in DNS blocking for ads, trackers and malware domains at VPN level. Works for all connected devices.
Specifications
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Switzerland |
| Protocol | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
| Open-source client | Yes — all platforms |
| Audits | SEC Consult (2019), Securitum (2021, 2022) |
| Free tier | Yes — unlimited data, 3 locations, 1 device |
| Proton VPN Plus | €10/month (or €4/month with annual billing) |
| Servers | 8000+ in 110+ countries |
| Secure Core | Yes (paid) |
| Tor-over-VPN | Yes (paid) |
| Anonymous payment | Bitcoin, cash (via Proton account) |
Speed
On WireGuard, measured on Dutch servers:
- Download: 350–500 Mbps
- Upload: 300–450 Mbps
Comparable to Mullvad. Secure Core reduces speed by ~30–50% due to the extra hop — expected with that feature.
ProtonVPN vs Mullvad
| ProtonVPN | Mullvad | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | ✅ (full) | ❌ |
| Account system | Email address required | Account number, no email |
| Anonymous payment | Bitcoin (via account) | Cash, Monero, Bitcoin |
| Secure Core / multi-hop | ✅ | ✅ |
| Tor-over-VPN | ✅ | ❌ |
| NetShield / DNS blocking | ✅ | ❌ (configure separately) |
| Paid price | €4–10/month | €5/month (fixed) |
| Organisational structure | Commercial (non-profit holding) | Simpler |
Choose ProtonVPN if:
- You also use Proton Mail (one account, combined subscriptions)
- You want to test for free before paying
- You want Tor-over-VPN or Secure Core
- You want NetShield for DNS blocking
Choose Mullvad if:
- Maximum anonymity is the priority (no email address when signing up)
- You want to pay with cash or Monero without account linking
- You want a simple, fixed price without different tiers
Caveats
Email address required: ProtonVPN requires a Proton account to sign up. That links your VPN usage to an account linked to an email address. Less anonymous than Mullvad’s account number system.
More complex organisational structure: Proton AG is more commercial than Mullvad — sales tactics with discount banner countdowns are visible. Has not damaged trust, but is different in character.
Police disclosure in 2021: Like with Proton Mail, Proton provided metadata (IP address) in 2021 following a Swiss court order. VPN content was not accessible. Use Tor-over-VPN or Secure Core if you also want to protect your IP.
Conclusion
ProtonVPN is the best choice if you already use or want to explore the Proton suite, and if you want a free option for testing. The combination of Secure Core, Tor-over-VPN and NetShield offers more features than Mullvad. Those wanting maximum anonymity at sign-up choose Mullvad.
See also:
- Mullvad VPN review — for comparison of both
- Which VPN should you choose? — full VPN comparison overview
- Setting up a GL.iNet travel router — ProtonVPN WireGuard at router level